ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: Would you please address the dangers of untreated sleep apnea? Also, what do people do when they are unable to tolerate a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine? I know that surgery is an option, but most times, it can be unsuccessful. -- Anon.

ANSWER: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is very common (15% to 30% of men...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My wife was recently discharged after a lengthy hospital stay with multiple diagnoses. Most of her issues were treated medically and resulted in six new medications from four different medical disciplines, in addition to three other medications that were prescribed pre-hospitalization.

Finding drug interactions was fairly ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I've had muscle spasms and cramping in my lower legs and feet for quite some time. It almost always happens when I'm laying in bed and in the early morning hours. If I stand up and walk around, it stops, but if I lay back down, it usually starts up again.

I am 65 and exercise daily, usually 40-50 minutes on an arc trainer and ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 74-year-old woman who is active and healthy. I recently had an endoscopy, and the findings were a hiatal hernia of about 5 centimeters with some inflammation. I have been having almost daily acid reflux episodes.

The gastroenterologist put me on a regimen of 40 mg of omeprazole for six weeks. It worked perfectly for me,...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Am I a doomed man? When I was 25, I survived a battle with testicular cancer. The good news is that 45 years later, after two kids and three grandkids, I'm in good health. The only medicine I take is gabapentin for peripheral neuropathy that was caused by the chemotherapy drugs I received during the cancer treatment. One or ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 89 and in good health. For six months, my systolic blood pressure was 113 mm Hg. Then, 10 days ago, it dropped to 88 mm Hg for a week. For today and the past week, it's been 187/93 mm Hg. I was on a blood pressure medication, but my doctor took me off of it when my blood pressure was low. I am currently off of all ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Next month, I am scheduled for cataract surgery. The procedure has been approved by my cardiologist and my primary doctor. I am pretty healthy, feel like I'm doing OK, and have been told so by my medical providers.

My problem is that no one seems to be listening to me. I have repeatedly said that I have a problem with ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 81-year-old man (5 feet, 2 inches tall at 122 pounds) in good health, except that I have Type 2 diabetes. My A1C level has been in the range of 6.3% to 6.8% for the past five years with the help of metformin. Five times a week, I walk on a treadmill for 15 minutes (about a mile) with 25 minutes of stretching exercises, ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am Greek and have thalassemia minor. In general, my red blood cells are much smaller than typical ones, and my iron content is significantly low. Every time I see a different doctor who prescribes a blood test, they always emphasize that my iron content is low and that I should take iron supplements.

I am not sure this is ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is 18 years a record for living without a stomach? A family member had stomach cancer when he was 70 and had his stomach removed. He consulted with a dietician and has been able to eat small but frequent meals and take enzymes, vitamins, and other things. But slowly, he lost weight.

Now, at 88, he is down to 84 pounds. His ...Read more

DEAR DR ROACH: I am a 74-year-old woman who has been on 40 mg of atorvastatin for years. During the past year or two, I started feeling tired all the time. I did have spurts of energy at times, but mostly everything started feeling like an effort.

It got so bad this past year that I avoided anything needing much effort. I'd cancel meetings ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 77-year-old female. After experiencing hair thinning for over a year, I was diagnosed with incomplete lupus by a rheumatologist. My blood markers were high, but I don't have typical symptoms. My primary care physician and cardiologist aren't convinced, and I don't "feel" like I have it.

I started taking Plaquenil, which...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 63-year-old male in good health. A few weeks back, I could not urinate while standing. The only way I could was by laying on my side, and it was very painful with a burning sensation. I went to urgent care and was then sent to an imaging center. My prostate gland wasn't appreciably enlarged, so I was sent to the ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: After about 10 months of being on Ozempic and working my way up to a 1-mg dose, I lost 40 pounds effortlessly. Sugar cravings disappeared as if by magic. I then noticed myself drifting backward and craving sweets again. My doctor increased my dose to 1.7 mg of Wegovy instead of 2 mg of Ozempic. I find myself continuing to crave...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a comment about your recent column on nuclear stress tests. As an 87-year-old person who has experienced atrial fibrillation and a mild stroke, I have had two nuclear stress tests done. In both cases, I told the supervising nurse that I wanted to go the max limits they would allow. Even though I attempted to prepare by ...Read more